The Other Father

by IzzyMRDB

Summary:

So, Poseidon would admit he was lost.

Odysseus had tricked him. Again. Despite the way the man had been all but trapped in Poseidon’s domain, Athena’s precious ‘Warrior of the Mind’ had not yet run out of luck and Poseidon was suffering for it. The coward refused to extend proper mercy, didn’t stand like a hero, and now used trickery to run from an honorable death. False righteousness, not even finishing the job.

Yet Poseidon had chased him down, following him into the cave Odysseus’s ship had sailed into. Or, the cave he thought Odysseus’s ship had sailed into.

He wasn’t sure anymore. This was most certainly not Greece anymore.

AKA

EPIC: The Musical's Poseidon lands in the PJO verse and decides that if the local Poseidon is not going to raise his son, then he's going to do it. Percy is just happy to have a dad that wants to take him to drown ferries of tourists.

Notes:

• Inspired by PJO x EPIC: The Musical Crack Crossover Fanart TikTok by pillow_drawz

So, Poseidon would admit he was lost.

 

Odysseus had tricked him. Again. Despite the way the man had been all but trapped in Poseidon’s domain, Athena’s precious ‘Warrior of the Mind’ had not yet run out of luck and Poseidon was suffering for it. The coward refused to extend proper mercy, didn’t stand like a hero, and now used trickery to run from an honorable death. False righteousness, not even finishing the job.

 

Yet Poseidon had chased him down, following him into the cave Odysseus’s ship had sailed into. Or, the cave he thought Odysseus’s ship had sailed into. 

 

He wasn’t sure anymore.

 

This was most certainly not Greece anymore.

 

The sea he swam in was colder, the currents softer, and the depths plunging further down than he had ever swam. The sea was no longer the same ruthless power that he knew.

 

Worse: his power appeared to echo. 

 

Different to how his power echoed in his children. Here, his power seemed to echo in some sort of loop, whispers of his power coming from places he didn’t know. Like there was another version of him here.

 

That should have been impossible.

 

The echoes came from further in the deep, like a second Atlantis, and a smaller, weaker echo came from the shore. He wasn’t so foolish to target the strongest echo in unknown terrain, so he headed towards the miniature power.

 

It was soft, undisciplined, with a sting to it. Like the jellyfish of the Grecian waters. 

 

It was… a child?

 

Observing the young blond child playing on the edge of where the sand met the sea, he watched as the waves gently parted around him. Not a drop touched him despite the way that he tempted fate by throwing seashells into the surf.

 

That was his child. Poseidon could see the way that his own power swirled gently within him, unrealised and at peace.

 

Well, mostly at peace.

 

He watched as his son suddenly dropped a shell he had picked up to yelp about a small crustacean who was very displeased at their rough treatment.

 

Poseidon chuckled as the boy insulted the crab right back, angry at being pinched.

 

“What’re you laughing at, Blue’s Clues?” 

 

He paused, blinked, and then tilted his head down at the child who had finally spotted him. He was far further into the surf, standing with his torso out of the waves where the depth meant he had no business with even his head above water. Not hidden, but unbothered with thickening the mist.

 

“Blue’s Clues?” He echoed. “I have no clue what you are referring to, child.”

 

The boy groaned, “It’s the kid’s show, dude. You know, with the blue dog that solves mysteries? Your hair’s the same shade. You must spend a fortune at the hairdresser.”

 

Poseidon did not know many of the words that the child used, but he did not care.

 

“My hair is blue because the ocean is blue,” he said, “your eyes are blue because the ocean is blue. Do not dismiss the connection we have.”

 

“Huh?” The boy was eyeing him warily now, like he was ready to bolt.

 

“Where’s your mother, my son? We must talk.”

 

“Son?” He raised an eyebrow, “right. You’re my dad. Lost at sea and walking straight out of the waves. Did Gabe put you up to this?”

 

“I do not know a Gabe ,” the name was strange, the sounds foreign on his tongue. “I am Poseidon, child. What name did your mother give you?”

 

“Perseus. Call me Percy,” he replied, “but I don’t think mom would want me to be giving my name to strangers. Are you really my dad?”

 

Poseidon stepped out of the water, forcing himself not to frown at the sensation of being fully dry, his blue-tinted skin which camouflaged so well in the sea now on display. “Are you really my son? I do not remember having you, yet I can recognise you. Let us go find your mother, Percy. She will be able to answer some questions, like why she would name you after my irritating nephew.”

 

***

 

Sally Jackson did not have many answers for the very lost god in her home.

 

Poseidon had figured out that he wasn’t the only Poseidon in this strange land, and he had also understood that Percy wasn’t actually his. Unfortunately for Sally’s stress levels (and to Percy’s delight), he simply decided that this meant he had a new son for free and that he was entitled to vacation.

 

This also meant that a certain mortal named Gabriel Ugliano was no longer alive.

 

He was pathetic, pushy and petty, but his Percy had told him how he despised the man his mom had married, and never let it be said Poseidon didn’t love his children.

 

Sally had been at work, warily leaving Poseidon home with Percy for the first time since he’d waved up a week ago, and Gabe left sitting on his armchair, playing imaginary poker.

 

Poseidon had guided Percy to the bathroom, the small twelve-year old sitting on the toilet seat as his new father filled the old grungy bathtub which hadn’t seen use since Percy was a toddler, and could be trusted not to remember using his powers on the rubber ducky. 

 

“Ruthlessness is a mercy unto ourselves,” Poseidon warned lovingly, “to act completely and absolutely now means that there is no regret and pain afterward. Kill your enemies so that they cannot raise their children to retaliate. Exterminate completely, conquer all, and there is no choice but to call you a hero.”

 

“Is this why mom says that not everyone who looks like a hero is a hero?” Percy asked as the water filled past the halfway mark.

 

“And not everyone who looks like a monster is a monster,” Poseidon replied, flashing rows upon rows of sharp teeth, a form that no mortal should ever lay eyes upon. “Now, I will offer you mercy once and only once: will you watch as I kill Gabriel Ugliano or will you wait outside as I do the deed?”

 

Percy stared at the tub full of water, a murder weapon in a trial that would never find the killer.

 

“I hate him,” his boy replied. “I need to watch. I need to see the job get done.”

 

Poseidon nodded, “Next time, I’ll teach you how to do it yourself. You are young, but you will grow, and I will have no false righteousness from you.”

 

The god stood and offered his son his hand.

 

***

 

Poseidon stared at Sally Jackson from across the table.

 

She was a beautiful, kind, formidable woman. She was also currently furious with him.

 

He knew Percy was too young to kill someone, which was why he did it for him, and offered the boy a way out. Somehow, she was still upset.

 

“He will be great,” He offered her in the face of her horror, puzzled by the emotions she projected.

 

“He’s my son ,” she replied. “He doesn’t have to be great. He just has to be .”

 

“Simply being does not protect him. He needs to be ruthless as much as righteous, strong and brave and great . He is my son, he needs to be a hero. Fate demands it.”

 

She was crying, salty wetness dripping down her cheeks, yet not a liquid of his control. “He is the son of Poseidon, but you are not the god I fell in love with, and he is not a child you fathered.”

 

He tilted his head to the side. “Yet I am the father who is going to teach him to survive.”

 

***

 

Poseidon had met Percy during something that is supposedly called ‘spring break,’ where children spend several days away from their tutors to enjoy themselves with their family and friends. Apparently, nowadays, children would spend five days out of seven studying with tutors in places named ‘schools,’ and certain children, like Percy, even lived at school to learn better.

 

Upon learning that children were also allowed to have family visits during the ‘week-end,’ Poseidon demanded that Sally change Percy’s position with the school so that he could see the child.

 

“I’m pretty sure that the school van is supposed to take me to you,” Percy said the second he laid eyes on his other father. “Mom wouldn’t be very happy if people saw a blue god picking me up from school.”

 

Poseidon snorted, “Your mother needs to be reminded that mortals see far less than they think they do.”

 

“Am I getting an explanation or are you doing that thing where you just walk off after saying some weird life advice?”

 

“Come, Percy, today you will learn what worship is, and why you need it.”

 

“Oh we’re doing weird life advice today, okay.” Percy grabbed his backpack and ran after his other father. “Are we killing more people today? Because there’s this girl in my class–”

 

“I’ve taught you the basics, Percy, you can handle a mortal child,” Poseidon seemed to turn more… unrestrained, like a living part of the sea, the more he walked. Percy grabbed his hand, trying very hard to ignore the way his father’s hair turned to black stringy kelp and his skin lightened to look like a bloated corpse’s. Every stride was longer than the last, the surroundings blurring and disappearing. 

 

Step. The school and its quiet nest in the Catskills melted away. Step. Catskill Park was behind them. Step. His socks were wet in the Hudson. Step. The river was polluted now. Step. He could see the high-rises. Step. New York City surrounded them, and they were walking on water.

 

“You are a part of the sea, and the sea does not like to be restrained,” Poseidon said, and it seemed like the waves echoed him. “Fear means prayer, and prayer means power. The more people who look up to you, who wish you to be their hero, who wish that they do not feel your wrath… the more powerful you become. Power means strength, and strength means you can protect yourself from any enemy.”

 

“What if I don’t want to be feared?” Percy asked, frowning. “I don’t like being afraid, why should I make others afraid just for me to not be scared?”

 

“True righteousness is a difficult path,” Poseidon warned. “There will always be those that are afraid of you; love or fear, with enough power, anyone can be scared of you. That is why gods are gods, and mortals are mortals, and heroes are heroes. Always fear a god, Percy, and pray that their power is on your side.”

 

“I’m going to help people,” Percy crossed his arms. “I don’t have to be any of those things. I don’t want to be special .”

 

Poseidon smiled, too many teeth and too much amusement. “Let’s see it, then.”

 

Without hesitation, he grabbed the boy, and like any father faced with a stubborn child near waves, picked him up and threw him into the water.

 

Percy resurfaced, spluttering, “What was that for?!”

 

Poseidon sunk into the sea, “Sink or swim, Perseus. Use your powers, show me how you’re going to help.”

 

Poseidon had the grace to allow the boy a few minutes to realise that he could, in fact, breath underwater, before he let the waves get rougher and rougher, a storm brewing off the shore.

 

A boat, filled with humans, was slapped by water near the strange metal statue of a Grecian woman holding a torch on an island. Poseidon focused his attention there, where seasoned sailors of superstition and faith would feed him well.

 

“Hey! Wait!” Percy swam after him, clumsy in the water like a newborn foal.

 

Poseidon did not care, his face appeared in waves off the stern of the ship, rocking the small boat harder and harder. Sailors, his worshippers, saw him far easier than any other mortal would in this mist, and soon he could hear panicked prayers to him.

 

And then the wave calms as Percy appeared at his side, scowling.

 

“You’re being a bully.”

 

“Am I?” 

 

“You’re scaring them for no reason!” Percy’s palms slapped the waves, not noticing the whirlpool he was making. 

 

“I’m scaring them so you can learn,” He said. “Look, Percy. Controlling waves so easily, a small whirlpool with your anger.”

 

Poseidon smiled, his visage far more human than it had been minutes ago, “You can be a true hero, Percy. Great and righteous, kind and protective. You just have to direct your anger at the right people.”

 

Percy blinked, looking up at the boat, watching as one sailor saw him floating in front of his father as if blocking them from view and then crossed himself. “Oh.”

 

“Come on, Percy,” Poseidon grabbed his son by the ankle and dragged him into the depths like a selkie’s prey. “Let me teach you how to control the sea.”

 

***

 

Percy looked at the trident embedded into his other father’s shoulder with the face of a child who knew that their mom was about to ground them.

 

“Good strength!” Poseidon praised, inspecting his wound. Saltwater was leaking from him, nothing worrying, though the ease in which his boy wielded a godly weapon should probably be. “Now, have you learned why you shouldn’t steal my trident?”

 

“It’s twice my height?” Percy said weakly.

 

“And it does a lot of damage,” Poseidon chuckled, making the trident vibrate. “Never play with a weapon.”

 

***

 

Percy stole his other father’s trident thrice more, only two weeks later.

 

Poseidon learned what ADHD is and why Sally made sure that Percy saw the consequences to his actions. Apparently, not being hurt by a deadly weapon makes him even more curious as to test the limits. Who knew?

 

Sally did, and she was not impressed.

 

***

 

Poseidon frowned as Percy came home.

 

“It is not a week-end,” He said, tilting his head to peer at the boy closer. “Why are you home?”

 

“The school expelled me for killing a teacher,” Percy’s eyes were darting about. “I made a fountain grab Nancy, then Mrs Dodds turned into a winged bat monster, so I stabbed her, and then Grover told the principal that I had planned on hurting Nancy, so I got sent home. I think Grover’s not human either. Where’s mom?”

 

“Listening to music in the rain,” Poseidon pointed at where the mortal woman was sitting on the fire escape. “Good job with the monster tutor. Would you like some cookies? Your mother has told me that I need to reward your good behavior, and you have done very good with the fountain.”

 

Sally stepped inside, soaked. “That’s not what I meant, Poseidon.”

 

“You told me to reward him when he improves with his powers?”

 

“Not right now– nevermind. Percy, how about we discuss the monster together at Montauk? Three nights, same cabin, some mother-son time.”

 

Percy beamed, worry melting from his face, “That sounds great!”

 

He then turned to Poseidon, “Don’t drown rude tourists in the bay while we’re gone.”

 

Poseidon was already looking through the cupboards for the cookies, “No promises.”

 

***

 

“I’m your dad,” The weird man in the solar said.

 

Percy looked him up and down, “No, you’re not.”

 

“Oh? How do you know that, son?”

 

He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, projecting annoyed son of the sea god as hard as he dared. That usually scared off the sea nymphs in the Hudson. “Because–”

 

“I’m right here,” They were interrupted.

 

Poseidon was staring at the stained glass with pure curiosity in his eyes, “Dionysus, you are very different to the one I know. Really, trying to trick demigods? I expect that from Hermes.”

 

Grover grabbed Percy and pulled him away from Poseidon, looking terrified.

 

Dionysus leaped to his feet, purple spilling from his eyes. “You’re not Poseidon. Who are you?”

 

“I am Poseidon, blue-haired lord of the seas,” He said his epithet with an air of boredom. “I am just… slightly lost. It is a good vacation, really, you should try it. Though, at home, Odysseus is being an irritating little pest, so perhaps it would be best if you waited some ten years.”

 

Chiron appeared, looking for Percy, and at once he drew his bow and pointed at the strange other god. “What is going on here?”

 

Poseidon scowled, “Oh, where is your hospitality?”

 

“I’m Poseidon, simply a different version of him, far from home and very unimpressed so far. Why are monsters attacking my Percy?”

 

Chiron’s bow remained taut, “Your Percy?”

 

“I’m his… other father, you could say. There’s already one Poseidon running about here, I thought I’d clean up some mess while I’m around. Percy is so talented, so powerful, he’ll be a great hero.”

 

Poseidon’s smile as he spoke about Percy was nowhere near human, and, as Percy seemed to figure out from his darting glances between the two immortals and his other father, they weren’t supposed to be.

 

Dionysus’ frown deepened, “How about you come announce yourself to Olympus, then? A good guest always announces themself.”

 

Poseidon sighed, “Very well, if I must.”

 

“You should,” Chiron quickly agreed.

 

Percy seemed resigned to losing him too, “Goodbye, I guess.”

 

“Perhaps,” Was all that he was given right before he disappeared with Dionysus.

 

“Sooo…” Percy awkwardly broke the stunned silence. “Can I still get a tour or have I been kicked out already because of him?”

 

***

 

Percy doesn’t like being in the Hermes Cabin, not when he knew that there was a perfectly good and empty Poseidon Cabin right there .

 

Sure, he hadn’t spilled the beans about the whole ‘two Poseidons running around’ just like Chiron had told him to, but he still wanted to be claimed, even if he had to wait until his original father spoke up. So, he decided that he was going to get his attention, one way or another.

 

Luke was helping a lot with that, even though Percy couldn’t tell him to skip the archery and just do canoe racing because he’s not supposed to know Poseidon is his father. Annabeth was a different problem, because she seemed to have figured out who he’s the son of, even if the whole Supreme Lord Of The Bathroom thing was an accident . Sorta. 

 

“Uh, who’s that?” Chris broke Percy out of his thoughts as he fiddled with his shield.

 

Standing next to a fuming Mr D was Percy’s other father, casually sipping from a wine glass and strangely not blue. Percy’s never seen him look fully human, he couldn’t decide if the man bun or the Hawai’ian shirt was more disconcerting.

 

Chiron was decidedly standing very far away from the two gods, “Campers! Before Capture the Flag begins, I must introduce a… surprise guest. A second Lord Poseidon has accidentally wandered through the Chaos that separates universes and is now refusing to listen to the Fates telling him to go home.”

 

“It’s a vacation ,” Poseidon drawled. “I’m enjoying myself.”

 

“Yes,” Chiron looked like he wanted to be anywhere but there. “As nobody, not even the Fates, can force him to do anything, as he is not of our universe, we have extended our hospitality. Do not mind him, just remember your manners, Lord Poseidon is content to simply wander our universe at the moment.”

 

“And to watch my son,” Thunder clapped at his statement as the currents of the waterfall separating the two teams splashed angrily. “Be ruthless, Percy!”

 

Percy considered shrinking behind his shield for a second in embarrassment, then decided that he had a better idea.

 

“If you want me to do well, does that mean you’ll give me my own trident?” He called, trying to give his biggest sad seal look.

 

Poseidon snorted, “Win the game, then perhaps.”

 

That meant no.

 

Percy added a pout, “How am I going to win without a good water weapon? Can I borrow your trident for a bit?”

 

Several campers gasped, and Luke reached out to grasp at Percy’s shoulder, fingers tightening in a universal sign to shut up!

 

Poseidon considered it, “Are you going to stab yourself with it?”

 

“No.”

 

Suddenly, a trident was flying through the air, and Percy had to throw himself forward to catch it with both hands before it impaled a random team member of his. “Thank you!”

 

“Hurt yourself with it and your mother will yell at both of us,” Poseidon returned to his wine, casual at the way he lent his godly symbol to a sixth grader.

 

“Okay,” Percy agreed reflexively.

 

After a moment, his head snapped back up. “Wait, what? Mom’s alive?!”

 

Chiron and Dionysus glared at the foreign god, who only gave a too-wide smile, “Oops.”

Notes:

Happy New Year everyone!!

Say hello to my weirdly half angst half crack AU where EPIC! Poseidon lands in the PJO TV verse and immediately adopts Percy, where I saw the amazing pillow_drawz AU fanart and decided that I really need it as a full fanfic, so now we have a new oneshot!

Link if the 'inspired by' button is acting up: https://www.tiktok.com/@pillow_drawz/video/7316921934078397701

Leave a comment and drop by my fanfic writing discord server: https://discord.gg/Et2pUb25F5

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 41 of My slowly growing collection of One-shots